Czech Karolina Muchova (pictured) beat American Coco Gauff in three sets in a Wimbledon 2026 semifinal Thursday in London. Photo by Hugo Philpott/UPI
July 9 (UPI) -- Karolina Muchova warred multiple formidable foes in her first Wimbledon semifinal, overcoming harsh heat, weathering nagging pain and repelling American Coco Gauff on Thursday to clinch her ticket to the finale.
"It was a big fight," the No. 9 Czech said on the ESPN broadcast. "It was a rollercoaster. You are up and down, match point down, no time to think, very nerve-wracking."
With the win, Muchova earned a spot in Saturday's final, where she will meet either No. 13 Marta Kostyuk of Ukraine or No. 12 Linda Noskova of Czechia. Kostyuk and Noskova also are first-time semifinalists.
Muchova broke Gauff twice in the 6-2, 1-6, 7-6(10) victory in London. Gauff held a 32-31 edge in winners, but converted just two of 13 break point chances in the 1-hour, 59-minute meeting.
She totaled just two double faults, but one came at a very inopportune time, giving Muchova an 8-7 lead in the tiebreak.
Gauff also earned a shot at match point, but failed to capitalize when she hit a drop shot attempt into the net from just a few feet away.
Muchova, who often held onto her right midsection and grimaced, clinched match point just minutes later when Gauff hit her final forehand into the net.
"I was trying to catch a breath," Muchova said.
Muchova established her grass-court comfort early on, breaking Gauff twice in the first set for a 5-1 edge. She sizzled an ace into the lawn for opening set point.
Gauff rallied in the bridge set, often running to the net to rush Muchova. She broke the Czech in the fourth and sixth game for a commanding 5-1 edge. She earned set point off an errant Muchova backhand to tie the match.
Gauff and Muchova each held through the first dozen games of the final set and exchanged the first two points of the tiebreak. Muchova claimed three-consecutive triumphs for a 4-1 advantage, but Gauff surged to tie the tiebreak 6-6.
She then recorded her brutal double fault, hitting a serve into the net to trail 8-7. But Muchova went long on a return to give Gauff her match point opportunity.
Muchova capitalized on Gauff's blunder with a towering lob behind the American for a mini break. Gauff fended off match point with a simmering forehand past her foe to tie the tiebreak at 10-10.
Muchova, who is now 29-0 this year when winning the first set, ended the match when Gauff failed to clear the net with her final return.
Muchova will take on Kostyuk or Noskova of Czechia in the Wimbledon 2026 women's singles final at 11 a.m. EDT Saturday in London.
Gauff is on track to move up to No. 4 in the WTA rankings thanks to her run at Wimbledon. Muchova, who is set to move to No. 6, could eclipse Gauff in the rankings if she wins Saturday's finale.
No. 3 Alexander Zverev of Germany will take on No. 114 Arthur Fery of the United Kingdom in the first Wimbledon 2026 men's singles semifinal at 8:30 p.m. Friday at the All-England Club. No. 1 Jannik Sinner of Italy will meet No. 8 Novak Djokovic of Serbia in the second semifinal after that match on Center Court.
WASHINGTON (AP) — CJ Abrams and Luis García Jr. both hit their 20th homers of the season, and the Washington Nationals pounded the Houston Astros 8-2 on Wednesday night.
Foster Griffin (10-2) allowed one run in seven innings for Washington, which took two of three from Houston to move two games over .500. Griffin's 10 victories are the most for a Nationals rookie since the club moved from Montreal before the 2005 season.
Brice Matthews had Houston's lone RBI on a fifth-inning single.
García ripped a three-run shot to right-center in the fourth off Houston starter Spencer Arrighetti (7-5). It was the first baseman’s 11th home run in 18 games since June 19.
Abrams led off the fifth with a blast to right-center to extend the lead to 6-1. The Nationals then loaded the bases on two singles and a walk to chase Arrighetti. José Tena followed with an RBI grounder and Keibert Ruiz added a sacrifice fly against reliever Alimber Santa.
It was plenty of support for Griffin, who tied a career high with nine strikeouts while allowing five hits and no walks. It was the seventh consecutive start in which the 30-year-old allowed just one run. Griffin is 4-0 with a 1.25 ERA in that span.
The left-hander, who signed a one-year, $5.5 million deal with Washington in December after spending the previous three seasons in Japan, had been tied with John Lannan’s 2008 total for the most victories by a Nationals rookie.
James Wood and García walked to open the third. Abrams’ one-out sacrifice fly scored Wood, and Daylen Lile followed with a double to knock in García.
Arrighetti allowed eight runs, seven hits and a career-high six walks in four-plus innings.
Up next
Houston RHP Hunter Brown (1-0, 3.38 ERA) faces Texas as the Astros’ trip continues Friday. Washington RHP Zack Littell (7-6, 5.02) starts at home Friday against the New York Yankees.
ST. LOUIS (AP) — Joey Ortiz homered, Robert Gasser pitched a career-high 7 2/3 innings and the Milwaukee Brewers beat the St. Louis Cardinals 10-2 Tuesday night to complete a doubleheader sweep.
Jacob Misiorowski struck out 11 in the first game of the split doubleheader, which was a makeup from May 5, and the Brewers won 4-3.
Milwaukee has won four straight games and seven in a row against St. Louis. The Cardinals lost their fourth straight.
Gasser (2-3) allowed just a two-run homer to Nelson Velázquez. He struck out four, walked one and scattered four hits.
Cooper Pratt gave the Brewers a 1-0 lead with a leadoff triple in the third inning and scored on a Christian Yelich groundout.
Luis Lara, in his major league debut, got his first hit and RBI with a two-run single that gave the Brewers a 3-0 lead in the fifth.
Milwaukee broke it open with seven runs against Cardinals reliever Jared Shuster in the seventh. Ortiz started the outburst with a solo homer and Brice Turang, Gary Sánchez, Jackson Chourio and Pratt followed with RBI hits.
Cardinals starter Hunter Dobbins (1-1), who was appointed the team’s 27th man for the doubleheader, allowed three runs on four hits in five innings. He struck out four and walked three.
With St. Louis trailing by eight, infielder Bryan Torres pitched two scoreless innings of relief.
Up next
Cardinals RHP Michael McGreevy (3-7, 3.12 ERA) will make his final start before the All-Star break after having turn in the rotation pushed back a day. The Brewers counter with LHP Kyle Harrison (8-1, 2.82 ERA) in the fourth game of their five-game series on Wednesday night.
NEW YORK (AP) — Jessica Shepard had 22 points, 12 rebounds and 11 assists for her third triple-double of the season, and the Dallas Wings beat the New York Liberty 88-77 on Tuesday night.
Dallas (14-8) earned its eighth road victory of the season — after totaling just six over the past two seasons.
Paige Bueckers made her only 3-pointer of the game with 3:12 left in the fourth quarter to give Dallas an 82-70 lead. Shepard was credited with an assist on the play to become the second player in WNBA history with three triple-doubles in a season, joining Alyssa Thomas.
Shepard's fourth career triple-double moved her into a tie with Sabrina Ionescu for second-most behind Thomas.
Bueckers finished with 15 points, seven rebounds and six assists for Dallas, which has won five of its last seven games. Azzi Fudd scored 12 points and Awak Kuier had 10 points, 12 rebounds and seven assists.
Breanna Stewart had 29 points and nine rebounds for New York (13-9), which has lost two home games to Dallas this season. Jonquel Jones added 17 points and Ionescu scored 14.
Stewart made four of New York’s 10 field goals in the first half, while the rest of her teammates combined to go 6 of 27 from the field to trail Dallas 47-31.
NEW YORK (AP) — The Associated Press honored Breanna Stewart before the New York Liberty's game Tuesday night for being one of the greatest women's college basketball players during the Top 25 poll era.
The AP celebrated the 50th anniversary of the women's basketball poll last season. As part of it, a 13-member panel voted for the greatest college players of the past five decades. Stewart and Cheryl Miller were selected as the top players over the past 50 years.
The UConn great won four straight national championships and was selected as the Most Outstanding Player of the Final Four each time. She was presented with her trophy at center court by AP Global Sports Editor Josh Hoffner a few minutes before tipoff of the Liberty’s game against the Dallas Wings.
Miller accepted her trophy at the Final Four in Phoenix last April at the “The AP Top 25 Fan Poll Experience,” which was held at Arizona State’s First Amendment Forum in the Walter Cronkite School of Journalism and Mass Communication. Stewart couldn't make that ceremony.
CLEVELAND (AP) — Donovan Mitchell has agreed to a four-year, $273 million contract extension with the Cleveland Cavaliers, a person familiar with the deal told The Associated Press on Tuesday.
The person spoke to the AP on condition of anonymity because the extension had not been announced. Tuesday was the first day that the Cavaliers could offer Mitchell the extension. The seven-time All-Star had two seasons remaining on his contract and could have waited to re-sign until next summer, when he would be eligible for a five-year supermax deal worth $350 million.
The extension includes a $76 million player option for the 2030-31 season and a full trade kicker, the person said.
For now, it is the fourth-biggest contract in terms of total value in NBA history behind the $314 million contract Boston gave to Jayson Tatum, the $285 million deal that the Celtics gave to Jaylen Brown -- who now plays for Philadelphia -- and the $276 million deal that Nikola Jokic currently has with Denver.
That assumes Mitchell will pick up a player option worth nearly $76 million for 2030-31. The average annual value of just over $68 million is, for now, an NBA record, barely passing the $67.9 million average value of the deal that Shai Gilgeous-Alexander has with Oklahoma City.
“When we have a superstar of his caliber that wants to be in Cleveland, that’s our best ambassador, that’s our best recruiter. There’s guys that are here that wouldn’t be here without him, quite frankly,” Cavaliers’ president of basketball operation Koby Altman said about Mitchell and an extension on May 29. “So I think the bigger question is, the one that’s been answered is, does he want be here and does he want to be here long term? And I think he’s answered that.”
The 29-year-old Mitchell led the Cavaliers this past season to their first conference final since 2018. He averaged 27.9 points, 5.7 assists and 4.5 rebounds during the regular season, along with 26 points in the playoffs.
Mitchell is averaging 26.7 points in four seasons with Cleveland since he was traded by the Utah Jazz in 2022.
Mitchell's extension is the first in what is likely to be a series of moves for the Cavaliers. There is the possibility LeBron James could return to his hometown franchise, which he led to its first championship in 2016. James Harden — whom the Cavaliers acquired at the trade deadline — also is considering a new deal to remain with Cleveland after turning down his player option for 2026-27.
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AP Basketball Writer Tim Reynolds in Miami contributed to this report.
DENVER (AP) — Nikola Jokic reiterated his hope Monday to remain with the Denver Nuggets for the rest of his career. His plan, though, is to hold off on signing his contract extension until next summer.
The three-time NBA MVP spoke to reporters after helping Serbia to a win over Bosnia-Herzegovina during a FIBA World Cup qualifying game in Belgrade, Serbia. Jokic finished with 20 points, 11 assists and 10 rebounds. He then reaffirmed his desire to remain in the Mile High City.
By waiting until next summer, Jokic can sign a five-year supermax contract that would be worth around $350 million.
The 31-year-old Jokic is coming off a season in which he made All-NBA for an eighth time. He averaged 27.7 points, a league-best 12.9 rebounds and a league-best 10.7 assists as he finished runner-up in the MVP voting to Oklahoma City's Shai Gilgeous-Alexander.
Jokic and the Nuggets were eliminated in the first round of the playoffs by Minnesota. After another early round exit, Jokic said: “I still want to be (with the) Nuggets forever.”
It's been a quiet offseason so far for the Nuggets. A big decision facing the team is what to do about Peyton Watson, the high-flying guard/forward who will command a lucrative contract to remain in town.
Antetokounmpo plans to arrive in Miami in a few days to start his Heat era — and said in a video message posted Monday on social media that he will forever think of Milwaukee, the place where he spent 13 seasons, as his city.
“I want you to hear from my mouth, the city of Milwaukee will always be in my heart,” Antetokounmpo, a two-time NBA Most Valuable Player and 10-time All-Star, said in the video. "This is my home, and this is a place that I had my kids. ... It made me the man that I am today. That will never ever change. No matter where I am, Milwaukee will always be my city, my team, my family.”
His run in Milwaukee ended with 21,531 points — by far the most in franchise history, more than 7,000 ahead of Kareem Abdul-Jabbar’s total during his tenure with the Bucks. Antetokounmpo is also Milwaukee’s all-time leader in rebounds and assists, plus he ranks second on the team’s career list in steals.
And now, he plays in Miami — a team desperate to get back into title contention, one that paid a ransom to make it happen.
“The announcement of today’s trade for Giannis Antetokounmpo and Bobby Portis Jr. is one of the great trades in Heat history,” Miami President Pat Riley said. “In my opinion, Giannis is one of the top five players in the league and Bobby is one of the best power forwards. The difficult part is trading Tyler, Kasparas, Jaime and Kel’el, who have given so much to this organization. We wish them nothing but the best."
Bucks general manager Jon Horst released a statement saying the trade was in the best interest of everyone involved.
He also lauded Antetokounmpo, as would be expected.
“Since we drafted him in 2013, Giannis has transformed the Milwaukee Bucks in every way — on the court, in our locker room and throughout the community,” Horst said. “Over 13 seasons, he became an extraordinary leader, teammate and representative of this city, and one of the defining players of his generation. The standard he set will continue here.”
The highlight of Antetokounmpo's 13 seasons in Milwaukee, of course, was the 2021 NBA title. He had 50 points in the Bucks' title-clinching Game 6 victory over Phoenix, earning NBA Finals MVP honors in a landslide.
Antetokounmpo said then, and reiterated Monday, that Bucks fans deserved that moment.
“I believe the city of Milwaukee is blue collar,” he said in the video. "It’s people that work extremely hard every single day. They give all their hard-earned money just to come watch the Milwaukee Bucks, to come and feel something, to come, to be a part of us.
“I hope that I was able to represent them the best that I could. And I was like them. I showed up to work, did everything. I was willing to do all the dirty work, just like them. I hope that bringing a trophy to this city meant something to them, because it meant so much to me.”
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AP Sports Writer Steve Megargee in Milwaukee contributed to this report.
Sweet Azteca wins the Great Lady M Stakes at Los Alamitos Saturday for the third year in a row. Photo by Benoit Photography, courtesy of Los Alamitos
July 6 (UPI) -- European raiders carted off the big loot from Saratoga's opening weekend, with the promise of more of the same to come during the summer season.
Much of the action around the country was on turf, although Sweet Azteca's third straight win in the Great Lady M Stakes in California and Phileas Fogg's repeat in the Suburban at Saratoga were dirt-racing highlights.
Turf
Title Role, last seen winning the German 2,000 Guineas, pressed the pace throughout Saturday's $750,000 Grade I Belmont Derby at Saratoga, took a narrow lead in deep stretch under John Velazquez and held off West End Kid by a scant nose at the end of the 1 1/4 miles. The favorite, Remember Mamba, was just a neck farther back.
Texas businessman Will Stroud bought a controlling interest in Title Role from the Coolmore partners before the race and said Title Role will stay in the United States with co-trainers Simon and Ed Crisford in charge, eyeing New York's generous turf stakes program.
Hot Rod Honey wins Friday's Sharp Susan Stakes for 2-year-old fillies at Gulfstream Park. Photo by Ryan Thompson, courtesy of Gulfstream Park
"I believe we'll target the Saratoga Derby," he said, referencing the Grade I heat Aug. 8. "We'll stay with the Crisfords through that race. The more winners we can get at Saratoga, the better."
Heeere's Johnny won Friday's $150,000 Saranac for 3-year-olds at Saratoga. Gran Oriente came from last of eight to win Saturday's $100,000 Soldier's Dancer Handicap at Gulfstream Park.
Filly & mare turf
Kensington Lane traveled from Ireland to score a front-running, 1 3/4-length victory in Saturday's $600,000 Grade I Belmont Oaks at Saratoga.
The Starspangledbanner filly, trained by Donnacha O'Brien, turned back an early challenge from Godolphin raider Abishiri and opened a sizeable lead by the time the field turned for home.
Faithful Departed made up ground on the rail to grab second and Fitz Right advanced outside rivals to finish third.
The plan originally was to send Kensington Lane to California, where she would be virtually guaranteed the firm turf she seems to relish. After Saturday's score, Phillip Shelton, racing manager for part-owner Medallion Racing, said the options expanded with a return to Europe and a longer residence in New York on the table.
To a Flame ran best late to win Friday's $150,000 Wild Applause Stakes for 3-year-old fillies at Saratoga by 1 1/4 lengths over Pillar of Beauty. The Justify filly, out of the Galileo mare Moth, ran 1 mile on firm turf in 1:35.29.
Turf sprint
Zulu Kingdom waited behind the early speed in Sunday's $225,000 Kelso Stakes at Saratoga, came to challenge pacesetter Mi Bago about the furlong pole, and the two hit the wire together in a dead heat. The pair finished the 1 mile on firm turf in 1:34.08.
Also: Twenty Six Black won Sunday's $200,000 Harvey Pack Stakes at Saratoga, Two Seven O took Saturday's $175,000 Dade Park Dash for 3-year-olds at Ellis Park and Triskelion won the companion Pea Patch Stakes for 3-year-old fillies, and Gerrard's Cross won Sunday's $100,000 Monmouth County Stakes at Monmouth Park.
Classic
The lesson from Saturday's $500,000 Grade II Suburban at Saratoga was simple enough: If Phileas Fogg is left alone on the lead, he will win. And so he did, as he has repeatedly through his career and for the second straight year in the 1 1/4-miles Suburban, with only modest urging by jockey Kendrick Carmouche, by 10 lengths.
A year ago, the Astern gelding was all out to preserve victory over a late-running Antiquarian, who went to the post as the favorite Saturday, but stumbled out of the gate and never got into the mix.
Sprint
Viking led all the way to a 4 1/2-length upset victory in Saturday's $100,000 Smile Sprint Stakes at Gulfstream Park. The 5-year-old City of Light gelding, partnered by Edwin Gonzalez, ran 6 furlongs on a fast track in 1:09.71.
Filly & mare sprint
Sweet Azteca had little trouble sweeping to a third straight win in the $200,000 Grade II Great Lady M Stakes Saturday at Los Alamitos. The 6-year-old Sharp Azteca mare led early in the 6 1/2-furlong feature and wasn't challenged, winning by 1 1/4 lengths while not being asked for her best.
The effort came despite a layoff of more than 10 months and a somewhat abbreviated workout schedule. Winning trainer Richard Baltas and the Breeders' Cup Filly & Mare Sprint now is the target.
Juvenile
It took jockey Ricardo Santano Jr. a few strides to get Booked going in a straight line from the No. 1 gate in Saturday's $200,000 Grade III Sanford at Saratoga. That done, the Yaupon colt took the lead and never looked back, drawing off easily to win by 6 lengths in 1:11.24. Vissino and Goodbye to Romance completed the trifecta.
On Sunday at Gulfstream Park, Watson battled with Gaelic Legacy through the final sixteenth of the $100,000 Proud Man Stakes and finally got the better of that rival by a neck.
Juvenile fillies
Harper's Corner led almost all the way to a 5 1/4-length victory in Friday's $200,000 Schuylerville at Saratoga -- her second open-lengths score in as many starts.
Hot Rod Honey hit overdrive in the stretch run of Friday's $100,000 Sharp Susan Stakes at Gulfstream Park, blowing by pacesetting Colombina on her way to a 4 1/4-length victory.
Around the world, around the clock
England
While Americans celebrated the Declaration of Independence on Saturday, the British celebrated the Constitution -- Constitution River, that is, who was so good in sweeping to victory in the Group 1 Coral-Eclipse. .
"Ryan said he doesn't think he's ever ridden a better horse," trainer Aidan O'Brien said, according to Racing Post.
The French Derby winner now has notched five straight wins. But he'll have to continue on course to prove as good as some of the ones Moore has partnered through the years. The son of the late Wootton Bassett might get a start on that in the Group 1 Juddmonte International at York next month with a full range of options thereafter.
France
Calandagan rebounded from a disastrous last-race experience to win Sunday's Group 1 Grand Prix de Saint-Cloud with a last-to-first effort for jockey Mickael Barzalona.
Trainer Francis Graffard was happy enough with the repeat win in the event, but said more important was the restoration of confidence in the 2025 international champion.
"I was upset with myself after Epsom," Racing Post quoted Graffard saying about of Calandagan's fourth-place finish, beaten by 41 1/4 lengths, in the June 6 Coronation Cup. Graffard said he should not have asked the gelding to run over the soft turf.
"Today, I thought he was sweating a little bit too much and I could see he was a little bit worried, so I was worried, too. At the end of the orders, I said to Mickael, 'Forget everything we said. Just ride him for himself. It doesn't matter if he's beaten, he just needs to get his confidence back.' That's what he did."
He will need that mojo back for what promises to be his next start in the Group 1 King George VI and Queen Elizabeth Stakes on July 25 back at Ascot.
In that, he's expected to again face Japanese star Masquerade Ball, who nearly thwarted his historic victory in the Grade 1 Japan Cup last November, as well as a roster including upwardly mobile 3-year-olds.
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